I Will Steal You Back
by Kalsypher
Summary: After Feitan tortures a girl for hours, he still gets no answer of where an Exorcist is. When Shalnark walks in, the girl, Nyx yells at him for letting her get tortured for so long. Shalnark had requested information about the Exorcist, but he was after something else. The Martyr Heart. Feitan accepts traveling with her to find the Heart. (FeitanxOC)
1. Torturing the Torturer

It wasn't often that Feitan could truly be challenged by his victims, but this girl was giving him a hard time. Her once clean clothes were ripped and covered in fresh and dried blood. He was simply sitting across from her, watching her suffer. But she wasn't suffering. She was sitting there, blood rolling down her face and dripping off the chair, watching him.

The puddle of blood was almost impossibly large. He didn't know if she was bleeding to death or not. Her skin was fresh in his mind. It was the first time he had hesitated in torturing someone. She already had scars. Deep sections of her body that had been removed, probably to the bone. The scars on her face that he didn't know about until the blood started to drip were like stripes across her face. They were jagged but light. She probably dodged that blow, whatever it was. Usually, he was able to rip the clothes off and continue torturing, but he was almost afraid to see what she looked like.

"What's your name?" She asked.

He studied her for a moment trying to find out the reason for the question, "Why?"

Her shrug should have caused her an immense amount of pain, but she didn't even look bothered by it, if she was in pain. "Just curious."

He didn't answer her. She looked like she was growing bored as she sat there and examined the room. All of her movements should have caused her pain, but she wasn't in pain. He wanted to kill her, but he knew he couldn't. She had information and wasn't telling.

"This is a really dull room," she concluded.

Feitan watched as she suddenly stood up. She had escaped her binds without him knowing. She stretched and her shoulders popped which earned a light groan, "Oh damn."

She sighed as she sat down. She seemed more human as she looked at him. "I like your accent."

He watched her stand up and stood up, ready to attack if need be. She just walked around the room, her finger running along the wall.

"I could kill you if I wanted, you know," she said nonchalantly. "But I like you. Talent like yours doesn't deserve to die."

"Talent?" He asked.

He figured he would eventually get her to say something as long as she was talking.

"Yeah. You're really good at torturing people. Probably doesn't take much for them to talk does it?"

He watched as her violet eyes traveled around the room. She had left a blood line all the way around.

She looked at him and smiled, "You can't torture a torturer. We always know what to expect and will accept nothing less. One guy tried to torture me and he did such a terrible job, I didn't even let him finish. I just killed him."

He narrowed his eyes. She was a torturer?

"You torture?" He asked.

"Martyr," she replied as she looked at him. "You're the second person that's come to me about an Exorcist. Unfortunately, my loyalties lie with the former. I cannot give you any information about the Exorcist until I tell the other. Sorry."

"Who want to know?" He asked coldly.

"Can't tell you," she replied playfully. "Unless I get your name."

He debated it. If she gave him the full name, he could find that person and torture them. She wasn't going to break.

"Feitan," he said quickly.

She jumped onto the chair she had previously been sitting in and put her foot on the back of the chair and started balancing the chair on its back legs. She opened her mouth to tell him, but the door opened.

"What's taking so long, Feitan?" The young blonde member of the Phantom Troupe asked.

The sound of Feitan's victim crashing to the floor echoed in the room.

"Shalnark?!" She shrieked.

His green eyes fell on the girl that was getting off the ground and he gave a sheepish grin, "Hey…Nyx."

"I should kill you," the blonde girl said bluntly.

"But you won't, right?" He asked skeptically.

Feitan looked at Shalnark, "She going to give name."

"Like hell I am!" She yelled. "I swear if you knew I was in here, I'm going to shred you."

"I was told Nikki Amin was in here!" He defended.

She sighed as she looked at Feitan, "This idiot is the one who wanted to know about the Exorcist."

"You found one?" Shalnark asked.

"I've got a short list," she told him.

"Great! But I need something else."

Her face went completely blank, "Why the _hell_ should I help you?"

He gave a smile. Feitan looked at the blonde girl Shalnark had called 'Nyx.'

She was glaring at him then she sighed, "Dammit, I can't say 'no' to you."

Shalnark grinned widely, "Great! Come with me."

Shalnark grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room. Feitan followed, uninterested about what Shalnark needed her for. He just wanted to understand that girl.

When he looked back, the blood puddle had disappeared. She must have grabbed her bag as well because it was missing as well.

When he entered the room, her wounds were gone, leaving nothing but scars on her skin. She had some strange _Nen_ ability. What she could do, he didn't know. But he was going to find out.

"-the Martyr Heart," Shalnark finished with nervous hope.

Feitan looked at him. What the hell did they need the Martyr Heart for?

It seemed Nyx was thinking the same thing.

"Shally, you don't need the Martyr Heart."

"We just need to find it and make sure the Chimera Ants don't get it."

Nyx put her hand over her chest, a distressed look on her face. "I have no idea where it is," she said quietly. "I haven't seen it in years."

She took a deep breath and let it go, "Shally, don't make me look for this."

"Nyx, the Chimera Ants are trying to take over the world this time. We need the Heart."

She gripped her shredded jacket where a once white heart had been. "You understand what that means."

It was the first time Feitan had seen Shalnark troubled about something. He really didn't want to ask her for this Heart.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I didn't want to ask you, but it had to be asked."

She nodded as she took a deep breath and let it go. "I can't go alone."

Shalnark looked at the small torturer of the Phantom Troupe.

Feitan considered it for a moment. It would give him time to watch the girl and he would see the true power of the Martyr Heart.

He simply nodded.

"Why him?" Nyx asked.

"You would kill the other members," Shalnark replied.

Violet met grey. There was a bond already forming. Two torturers ready to outdo the other. There was a sparkle of bloodlust and excitement in Feitan's eyes while he watched a devilish smirk formed on her lips.

The challenge had begun.


	2. No Heart

Nyx walked out into the sun and squinted at the brightness. Feitan stood next to her as she examined the area around them. It was abandoned buildings, some falling in on themselves.

"Where are we?" She asked.

There was a forest behind them and a large city in front. The dry heat made the area seem less hot than the humidity she was used to. It was almost nice to not have her clothes sticking to her skin because of moisture in the air. And her pale locks weren't frizzy.

"Tersu," Feitan said shortly.

"Alright. Let's go looking."

The two began their journey toward the city.

"How you plan finding Heart?" He asked, his cold voice never changing. "Blind search stupid."

"That's why we're going to the city," she said. "We're stealing a map."

"You steal?" Feitan asked. "You martyr."

"Just because I torture for 'justified causes' does not mean I am justified. I've never been much of a saint."

"Why you no join?"

"The Phantom Troupe?" She asked while looking at him. He gave a short nod, not returning her gaze. She sighed thoughtfully, "Well, I never really thought about it. Besides, I rarely," she paused for a moment, "_used_ to rarely kill people."

That caught Feitan's attention. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. She was a killer too?

"What you mean?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a paintbrush. "You'll see."

Feitan hated waiting. That's why she pissed him off and made him curious at the same time. He hated not knowing how she could take so much then just be healed of it.

"Clothes," Feitan said.

She looked at him, "What clothes?"

"Your clothes."

She looked at her tattered, bloody clothing. "Huh, that might be a problem. Guess I have to steal clothes too."

"Where Exorcist?"

"I don't know. I just have names."

"That good enough."

"Martyr Heart first," she said dismally. "If I survive, I'll help with the Exorcist."

"Why you no want Martyr Heart? Why you no survive?"

She took a deep breath and let it go, "I don't want the Heart because it's purely evil. I might not survive, because the moment I get it back, it's going to enter my chest."

"You no have heart?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "The Martyr Heart was taken from my chest by another martyr. There's a vortex of _Nen_ there right now. It's not the heart everyone wants. It's the ability. But what they don't understand is you can't have a heart to have the Martyr Heart. When I get the Martyr Heart back, the _Nen_ will come out. And that's what everyone wants. The _Nen _it forces out."

"Why you no survive?"

"Guilt will probably kill me. The vortex keeps the conscience at bay. Get the Heart, lose the vortex. I'll know everything I've ever done. Won't know what happens until we get it back."

When they got to the city, she shrugged off her bag and pulled out liquid yellow paint. Feitan watched as she painted her entire palm yellow then put everything away. They walked into a store and he saw her barely touch a woman. The woman dropped to the floor and everyone panicked while they kept going. She grabbed a black shirt and black jacket then some light jeans with holes in them and walked into the changing room.

When she walked out, she had changed and Feitan noticed the white heart was painted on her chest again. He followed her out the side door and down the sidewalk. Her incredibly serious face was almost scary.

She walked into a library and wandered to the back. After finding a small map of the world, she tucked it away in her bag and continued searching. Feitan grabbed a book and sat down, flipping through the gory pictures of previous wars.

"Ready?" She asked.

He noticed the fresh cut on her lip. "What happen?"

A sinister smile found its way to her lips. Wordlessly, she walked away. He left the book and followed her.

His eyes caught something down one of the aisles. There was no full body. Just body parts and a lot of blood. He ignored it and followed her out.

A yawn escaped her lips, "Hungry?"

He didn't want to admit he was, but he was.

She stopped walking and grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. "If you don't start talking, this isn't going to work out."

Feitan watched her eyes widen and fear take her when someone walked up behind her. Her colder than death hand was trying not to shake.

"You look good, Nikki," the guy mocked. "Got any new information for me?"

This guy had succeeded in making her talk before. Feitan was curious as to how.

She drew in what little courage she had left and faced him. His green eyes almost stopped her from talking, but she managed to fight it. "If you have information you want, you'll just have to wait in line. I've got other clients that need to be handled."

Feitan watched as he teased her fears, "But I've been waiting for so long. Don't you remember what fun we had last time?"

"You got the information. And you got what you wanted after I gave you the information," she seethed.

He smiled as he leaned closer. She was completely frozen as he put his lips by her ear, "And no one else has been as fun," he whispered.

He kissed her on the cheek and smirked at the control he had over her. His eyes moved to Feitan, "If you want answers, show her some intimacy. She'll tell you whatever she can."

Feitan glared at the man, focusing his _Nen_ to his hand then quickly taking off the man's head. After putting the pieces together, he realized what had happened to her.

Rape.

Feitan said something in a language Nyx couldn't understand then started walking away. She quietly followed behind, her mind completely gone from her.

The more Feitan thought about it, the more torturous it sounded. Intimacy. That would scare the hell out of him. He looked at his travel partner. Her eyes were empty. Like she was reliving it.

He was about to ignore it until he saw what he believed was impossible for her.

A tear.

She had been defeated.


	3. Bridge of Trust

The sunlight was absorbed into the black hoody Nyx was wearing. The heat was the first thing she felt that brought her out of her daze. Feitan was still walking next to her. He hadn't said a thing. He hadn't insulted her. He had actually killed the guy.

She walked into a restaurant to evade the sweltering heat. Feitan followed her in and the two just stared at the large menu displayed over the cashier area. Feitan had never really been in a restaurant without the intent to kill. She didn't look like she was going to kill anyone.

She looked at him and he just shook his head. She sighed as she ordered two of whatever she wanted. Feitan was slightly amazed she had paid for it. He never checked her pockets for money.

She really was tricky.

She grabbed the drinks and handed one to Feitan then walked to the back of the restaurant. Tossing her bag into the booth, she slid in and pulled Feitan in with her. She laid out the map she had stolen and looked it over.

"How this help?" Feitan asked.

She reached into her bag and pulled out her paintbrush and green paint. He watched as she wrote on it.

_Martyr Heart_

The green paint faded away. Feitan just stared at it while the waitress put bamboo holders with four ball things on the table. He narrowed his eyes dangerously at the girl who wouldn't stop staring at him. She smiled flirtatiously and winked at him then walked away.

He glanced at Nyx who looked fine with whatever she was eating.

She looked at him, "Something wrong?"

He looked at the food. She smiled, "We're going on adventure, Feitan. Can't go on an adventure without trying stuff."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Dim sum," she said. She pointed at one that favored a shell, "This has beef in it." She pointed at a bun looking one, "This has barbeque pork." She pointed at one that looked like a basket with mess in it, "Shrimp, pork, and mushrooms." There was one that was covered in rice, "Pork covered in rice."

He looked at her then the food again. There was a small plate with something else on it. "This?" He asked.

"Coconut."

He was still skeptical about it.

"If I cooked this, would you eat it?" Nyx asked him.

"I do not know who cooked it," he said dangerously.

"That wasn't the point of the question," she sighed. "Look, it's fine. Adventures call for adventures. You're hungry and so am I."

She was right. He was hungry. Skeptically picking one up, he took a bite. Being from Meteor City, he wasn't a picky eater. But when it came to food from people outside Meteor City, he was on edge.

He noticed she was staring at him. He narrowed his eyes and she looked away. Her eyes had changed for a moment. Like she had been admiring him. Why, he didn't know.

Nyx finished eating and looked at the map. Still nothing had come up. How hard was it to find a heart? Especially _that_ heart.

"What wrong?" Feitan asked.

She looked at him, "The paint isn't showing up."

He looked at the map, "Where paint go?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, "I don't really know. But it can go into the map and locate what I write."

He looked at her then the map. "When it come back?"

"It varies," she sighed as she looked at the time on her cell phone. "It shouldn't have taken this long to find a detached heart."

"_Nen_block it off?"

"No."

The green paint started to show again. It outlined the Azian Continent then a dot appeared at the top of the continent. Nyx wiped the paint off the map and put a dot where the former green dot had been.

_Name of cities_

The paint disappeared then reappeared. Four cities. Guugon. Depar. Tyou. Uchibui City.

Feitan studied the names, seeing if any sounded familiar. None of them sounded familiar.

"I hope you like cold," Nyx groaned. "It's the middle of freaking winter there all the time."

"How you know?"

She looked at him, "People come to me looking for information. I know _a lot_ of things just by traveling."

That much was true. Phinks and Feitan had captured her when she was off guard. They wouldn't have risked it if they had known she was Nyx Kebox.

She rolled the map up and put it away. "We'll stay in a hotel tonight and get supplies. Then we'll get tickets to get out of here and head to Uchibui City."

"Uchibui City?" Feitan asked.

"That's the only airport in the northern part of the Azian Continent. And they're all real assholes. So…try not to kill anyone."

She stood up and Feitan followed her.

"Why we stay in hotel?" He asked.

"Need to stay somewhere." He opened his mouth but she put her finger over his lips earning a dark glare from him. "As much as I would love to kill someone for their apartment, we need a hotel. Just trust me on that."

He wasn't sure why she was dragging him around the town. She would stop at a hotel, look around, then keep going.

"Where we going?" He asked, bored of traveling.

"Wherever we can," she said as she stopped in front of another hotel.

"We stay here," Feitan said firmly. "No argue."

"Bossy," she said with a smirk. "It's a good trait to have."

He glared at her as she walked across the street to the hotel. Getting them a Hunter room with two beds, she gave Feitan a card key then they got in the elevator and started their travel up. The glass elevator allowed them to see over the hotel.

"This would be good for snipers," Nyx stated as she watched all the floors go by.

Feitan had to agree with that.

She looked at her new partner-in-crime, "Feitan, are you ok?"

He looked at her, "What you mean?"

"You acted funny about the restaurant thing and this is a luxury hotel. I just didn't want you to be overwhelmed."

He wasn't sure if he was offended or shocked. She had put his past into consideration and didn't want him to be uncomfortable about it.

"How you know I from Meteor City?" He asked.

"Which reason do you want?" She asked playfully. "You kill without question or remorse. You had no problem with me stealing the map. You were skeptical about food cooked where you couldn't see it."

"Why we in hotel?" He asked as the brass doors opened.

He followed her down the left hall. "For the view."

They were on the tenth floor. They definitely had a view. She put her key into the scanner and pulled it out, unlocking the door.

Feitan walked in first. He didn't know how to react when he saw the small house in a room. The beds were massive and clean. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi tub and massive shower. There was a balcony looking over the city. A TV bigger than he was.

"A reason to become a Hunter," she said as she walked past him. "C'mere."

He followed her to the balcony and found the perfect view of the city.

She pulled out her purple paint and drew circles in the air over stores lining the streets. "This is why we walked around all day," she said. "These two places," she pointed at two circles, "Have winter clothing that will handle the cold we're going into. This," she pointed at another circle, "has luggage that we _will_ need," she explained to his look of disgust. "And this," she said as she pointed at another circle, "Is optional. It's a grocery store so I can cook for you since you're picky."

"What it do?" He asked as he pointed at the white heart on her chest.

"It's a binding agent. Keeps the _Nen_inside my chest."

"All white paint?"

"Oh, no," she said. "All of the paints have two purposes. White keeps the _Nen_ in my chest and other Nen users in a state of _Zetsu_ for thirty minutes if I need a quick escape."

"What others do?" He asked.

"Well…" she drifted for a moment as she pulled out her liquid paints. "For me to manipulate paint the way I do, I have to sacrifice something in return. All of my paint has my blood in it. The red paint has the most blood in it. It can kill whoever I put it on. But for me, if I have it, it lets me get whatever blood I lose back. Orange is mind control when I put it on someone. I have to put it on myself when I use it so I can see what they're seeing. Yellow can paralyze whoever I touch. If I put it on myself without the intent to paralyze anyone, it's a light. Green is for searching stuff. Blue heals me but leaves scars, obviously. Purple draws on the air. Black only makes things hidden in shadow."

Feitan held the colorful paints then handed them back to her. She was a master of Manipulation to have so many colors do so many things.

She looked out over the city, "Tonight, we're going to get clothes and luggage. Tomorrow, we leave."

She was incredibly serious again.

Feitan looked at her, "You ok?"

She looked at him, almost shocked he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You worried," Feitan pointed out. "You scared of me."

She tensed for a moment then shook her head, "Not of you." That fear he had seen earlier was in her eyes, "Just of what you could do now that you know."

"I not hurt you like that," he said. She looked at him and could see the smirk in his eyes, "No taste."

She gave a light smile and looked back over the city. "You didn't have to take his head off," she told him.

"You not do it," he said.

"Couldn't," she admitted quietly. "But you could have tortured him."

He stood next to her, watching the city as well, "Your revenge. Not mine."

"It's weird being weak," she said. "Especially over something as simple as that."

"What he do to you is not simple," he told her. "It disgraceful."

Nyx was touched by what he said. For a torturer to say that another torture method was disgraceful really meant something.

"Torture about pain. Not humiliation," Feitan said.

She smiled some. Maybe the trip wouldn't be so bad now that he was actually talking to her.

"That girl had a reason to stare at you, you know," Nyx said.

Feitan looked at her as she leaned against the railing. "What you mean?"

"You're not exactly ugly," she said, looking at him from over her shoulder. "You've got a nice face. It's a shame you cover most of it up."

Her eyes went back to the city. Feitan stood quiet not sure how to take what she said. 'Nice face.' 'Shame you cover it up.' He never really cared about how he looked. But she was starting to make him. He didn't understand why, but he was starting to value her opinion. She was smart, cunning, and a martyr. She knew how to cause maximum pain with minimal harm to the person's body.

She was everything he wanted to be.

He supposed he should hate her or even be envious. But he wasn't. It was almost like she was a member herself.

"You join Phantom Troupe?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Maybe. Depends."

"On what?" He asked curiously. She wasn't one for morals. What was holding her back?

"I don't like dedicating myself to a team," she said. "As a martyr, we work separate but for the same cause. If you can call it that."

"Phantom Troupe no different. Leader gone now. Need Exorcist to get back."

Her head raised some at the change in his voice. She looked over her shoulder to see Feitan without the bandana over his face. His young face was framed well with his black hair. She could tell how pale he was. His eyes were still sinister, but that made him charming.

The bridge of trust had been built.


	4. Mark of a Martyr

The pair of torture experts walked down the sidewalk toward the luggage place. From there, they could go to the clothing stores and stick what they needed inside the luggage.

The first store they went to was the dressier of the two. Their clothes were warm and decently dressy and professional.

Only they weren't the only ones 'shopping.'

Feitan raised thin eyebrow at his tall accomplice. Wearing his signature pharaoh nemes and white robe, the tallest Spider stood with his back to the pair.

"I know you're there," Phinks rough voice said. He turned around with a dangerous grin, "Come at me!"

His face fell as he looked at the small Spider, "Oh. Hey, Fei."

His dangerous and curious gaze fell on the girl by the short man, "So, Feitan spared your life. That's weird."

"Phinks," Feitan said. "Nyx Kebox."

That was his simple introduction.

The pharaoh's eyes widened a bit, "Oh damn. We are in trouble."

"She is helping," Feitan said slowly. "She is not here for revenge."

Phinks looked from Feitan to Nyx, "You sure about that?"

"There are more important things than revenge," she assured him, an edge in her voice. "I have alleged my allegiance to Shalnark and he has asked Feitan to come with me for the Martyr Heart. I will not turn on my word."

Feitan looked at her, a bit surprised at her sudden change in attitude.

The danger disappeared when she smiled, "You are more than welcome to join us. We'll need all the help we can get."

Phinks gave a skeptical look then grinned sadistically, "And pass up traveling with Nyx Kebox? Hell no."

"Good," Nyx said with a smile as she tossed the smaller suitcases to him. "We're going to the coldest part of the world. It's winter all year long and when it is winter there, your blood can freeze in your veins. Pack warm."

"Why the hell are you here looking for warm clothes?"

"Where we're going has a dress code. Top notch dress all year long. Something about being better than everyone in the world because they live in the coldest place on the face of the planet. When you're the best, you dress the best. When you're done, go to the place across the road. That's where the serious warm stuff is."

She finished shoving dresses and shoes into her bag and left the place, heading to the winter-wear. Feitan had stayed behind with his comrade. When Nyx finished packing her luggage, she went back to the hotel. She was glad she was alone.

Walking to the balcony, she looked down. There was a man sitting on his balcony, messing around with his laptop. She walked to her bag and grabbed her black paint, painting black bands around her wrists. He would never know what hit him. Or what tortured him until he gave up the necessary information.

Even after that, she might kill him.

Phinks and Feitan walked into the room. Nyx was sitting on the couch and there was a body in the middle of the floor. His eyes had been gouged out, his lips cut off, his tongue cut out, his ears cut off. There was a deep gash down his chest and across his stomach. He was laying in a puddle of blood, clearly having bled to death.

The rapid clicks of a keyboard echoed through the silent room. Nyx's attention was deep in whatever was on the computer. Feitan and Phinks walked to the body. He was still breathing and still conscious.

Nyx's attention went to them then the guy on the floor, "Oh, him? I needed the laptop. He decided to not give me the password. I finally got it out of him. He's got a nice suitcase you can use instead of those small ones, Phinks."

She pointed to the bed, "I put it over there."

She went back to typing. Feitan looked at the man on the floor. He was still suffering. It was impossible to do that to someone. Destroy them like that, leaving them bleeding like that and the person not dying.

"Ki…ll…me," he choked.

"I'm not done with you yet," Nyx said. "You just stay right there."

"I'll…tell you…anything," he gurgled.

"Yeah, you said that last time and look where it got you," Nyx said carelessly. "I've had years of practice." The dangerous glint in her violet eyes made them seem more alive. She had a whole new look. Like a twilight storm. "I can smell when you lie."

"Please…" He begged.

"I'll kill you when I feel like killing you," she said darkly. "What's the password to your debit card?"

"8904," he replied weakly.

She typed it in then continued clicking on things. Her eyes narrowed. "This is going to take forever. But you've answered honestly and I have nothing more to do with you."

He was dead.

"They will find us," Feitan said.

"They can't trace any transactions through the Hunter website," she said. "No Hunter will come after a three star Hunter."

Five years. It had been five years since Shalnark took the Exam and she already had three stars. Just what the hell had she done?

She closed the laptop and looked at the body. With a bite of her finger, she dropped a few drops on the body. It began to melt away and the blood disappeared. She used the same finger to put an X on the top of the laptop. It exploded.

The two Spider members looked at the girl. She sucked on her finger as she looked at them, an almost innocent look in her eyes. "What?"

There was a long, awkward silence.

"I officially nominate you as a member of the Phantom Troupe. Welcome, #11," Phinks said.

She raised an eyebrow then shrugged, "Alright."

"You argued with me but not Phinks?" Feitan asked.

"He demanded it," Nyx said. "You offered."

She stretched and yawned, "I'm taking a shower then going to bed. I suggest you not go on the balcony for a while."

Nyx walked into the bathroom leaving the two curious members standing there.

Phinks looked at the balcony, "Wonder what happened."

"It is best not to know," Feitan advised. "Her _Nen_ is different. She is a strong Manipulator."

"At least your language is getting better. That's the clearest you've ever talked. She must be a hell of a Manipulator if she can make you talk like that."

Feitan just glared, "I will get my revenge."

"Revenge on who?" Nyx asked as she walked out of the bathroom.

She was dressed in a tank top and shorts. Phinks' jaw dropped.

Nyx looked at herself, wondering why Phinks was staring so intensely at her. "Is something wrong?"

The scars on her body were so severe. It was amazing she even had a body. Her scars were deep, jagged, and ruined her femininity. She would have been fairly attractive if the scars weren't showing. Other than the scars, her strength could be seen in her well toned legs and arms. It was the first time Feitan had seen so much of her and it wasn't covered in blood.

"And I thought Franklin was messed up," Phinks said.

She blinked, "What?"

"No wonder you wear jeans and a jacket all the time," Phinks said. "You're hideous."

"I wouldn't say hideous," she said as she looked at her legs. "I call it experienced. Anyway, our flight doesn't leave until the day after tomorrow and I need to sleep as long as I can or else you will see a side of me you really don't want to see. So, goodnight ladies."

She walked to the large couch and fell onto it, instantly asleep.

Phinks and Feitan just stared at her.

"I don't think she's human," Phinks stated. "No woman would take being called hideous so easily."

"If I wake up and you have been brutally tortured, I will know why and I will laugh."

Feitan walked to the bathroom and took a shower. It felt strange to bathe in warm water. When he got dressed again, he didn't bother putting his cloak on. He walked out and saw the girl in his bed and Phinks asleep in the other bed.

Feitan looked at the couch and saw why she wasn't on the couch anymore. Phinks' nasty clothes were on the other end of the couch. And his disgusting shoes were there as well.

Phinks' feet smelled worse than dried blood.

Feitan wasn't going to sleep anywhere near it. His only option was sleeping in the large bed with Nyx.

Running his hand through his wet hair, he prepared himself to get some sort of reaction as he sat on the bed. She didn't wake up. There was a wall of pillows already built to keep them separated. She knew he wasn't going to sleep by it either.

Awkwardly laying down, he let his body adjust to the bed. It was _too_ comfortable. His bones ached, making him shift some. Every vertebra in his back shifted as well with a sickening pop. But the pain was gone.

The smile on Nyx's lips didn't go unnoticed, but he didn't address it. He had never slept in a bed before. Letting sleep take him, he realized how interesting this trip would be.

Absolute luxury.

Feitan woke up to something moving on his leg. He slowly opened his eyes and realized the pillow wall hadn't worked. Nyx was curled up, her knee on his leg. She looked so different sleeping. There was nothing that said she was a torturer.

The small Spider sat up, his back cracking again as he stretched. He wasn't sure he liked beds. The sheets had moved down and Nyx's tank top had been pushed up, revealing her toned stomach. There was a tattoo.

Curiosity got the best of Feitan and he raised her shirt more, watching her to see if she would wake up.

It looked old, like she needed to get it redone. It was the mark of a martyr. An angel with a scythe. It was an ancient mark. They had changed it to a tiger and lion with their paws meeting on a sword hilt.

Gently pulling her shorts down where the year they got the mark would be, he found himself surprised.

_1911_.


	5. Questions

Feitan's hand seemed to be out of his control as he lightly ran his finger over the tattoo. There was a deep X scar in the same spot. Whether the tattoo caused it or was what Nyx was trying to cover up would remain a mystery.

He slowly lay back down, his hand never leaving the scar. His head was swimming with questions as his thumb ran over the scar. His other arm was behind his head, supporting his head rather than the fluffy pillow.

She was at least 90 years old. According to that tattoo.

As he watched her sleep, he tried to imagine what living for 90 years was like. He wasn't sure if he would want to. Then again, there would be more people to kill over the years. But, life would lose its purpose after a while.

She shuddered some and moved closer to him searching for some warmth. He pulled the sheets back over her, letting her head stay on his arm. He knew he wasn't going back to sleep. Looking at the clock he discovered he hadn't been asleep for more than two hours.

"You need to sleep," a quiet voice said.

His attention was on the girl next to him. Her even breathing made him think she was sleep talking. But she wouldn't have been that accurate.

"What's keeping you up?" She asked, looking up at him, her violet eyes showing how tired she was.

His free hand went to the tattoo. "1911…"

She sat up and yawned, "Yes…that's when I became a martyr. Nyx Kebox is a silent legend. A mere whisper in the wind, but those who know the tales are filled with nightmares. Martyrs were not always for justice. We believed we were setting souls free. Massive raids…villages and towns were destroyed by us. Finally, the Hunter Association stepped in. That was when we started making our reason for killing a 'justified cause.' We had to limit our kills and took offers others had. It eventually faded into an actual feeling of needing to be killing for a justified cause. Nyx Kebox…"

She ran her hand through her hair as she sighed, "I was the founder. I left this mark everywhere I went," she explained, resting her hand over his. She looked at their hands, a subtle sadness in her eyes. "Then, they started limiting their kills out of fear of the Hunter Association. As time passed, they stopped killing and left it to torturing. Then…they turned against me. I was tied down and my heart was removed by two _Nen_ users that had joined us. They cursed me to immortality until I got the heart back. They cursed the heart too. Even though they kicked me out of the martyring, I was still torturing. I picked up the habits of stealing and torturing for information, rather than some justified cause. I never had morals."

She lay back down and stared at the ceiling, her arms folded behind her head, "Just a bunch of bullshit for people to continue their lives."

"You regret it?" Feitan asked.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I regret not letting the Hunter Association kill us all right then and there. Then there would be no Martyr Heart."

"How old are you?"

"111," she replied easily. "When we get the Martyr Heart back, I may lose it. If I do, my body might fall apart right then and there or I'll be 21 again and finish it out."

"You live better life?"

"I'm hell bound no matter what I do," she told him. "I would like to see what love is like. Being alone for so long…The world ages while you don't. Everyone wants immortality until everyone they love starts to die. I'm not happy with being close to Shalnark. I'm not happy traveling with you and Phinks. Chances are, if I live, I will leave. That's just how I am."

"You cannot accept death, though you kill," Feitan said.

"I'm fine with dying," she said quietly. "I'm a heartless torturer, a maker of massacre, a murderer. But, if someone asked me to kill Shalnark, I wouldn't be able to. They would just have to kill me."

Feitan thought about what she said. Would he be able to kill another Spider? Possibly. If it wasn't against the rules.

She turned over, her back to him. She had spilled it all to him. Everything…there it was.

He could take it or leave it.

As Feitan stared at the ceiling, he began to wonder what love was like. He knew there was a difference somewhere between loyalty and love. He knew that his idea of love would not be the right love.

Furrowing his eyebrows in annoyance, he had more questions on his mind. Questions she would not be able to answer because she was just like him.

She hadn't made a big deal about his hand being on her. She didn't even mention it. She didn't care the pillow wall didn't work. She was fine with all of it.

Somehow, it was almost awkward to him. He had slept nearby Shizuku and Machi and it never bothered him. He was fine sleeping wherever he ended up.

But he ended up in the same bed as Nyx. His…hero, in a sense.

And now he knew the truth. The martyrs were originally cold hearted killers, taking out cities and villages. Then their reputation got tainted and they needed a reason for doing what they did. He wondered what cities and what villages and why those specific ones. The people? Where it was? What they had?

"Go to sleep, Feitan," she muttered.

He looked at her. Her back was still to him.

He closed his eyes, trying to let sleep take him. The strange smell of cinnamon and orange soothed him. He moved to a more comfortable position, too tired to care where his arm was.

Nyx hadn't cared about anything else. Why would she suddenly care?

The sun woke Feitan up. The position he was in was rather surprising. His arm was around Nyx, his hand on the small of her back while her head was on his other arm.

She looked different. The scars on her face were gone. The scars on her arms were faded as well.

He carefully got away from her only to hear a door open. Phinks walked out of the bathroom, a smirk on his lips. "Sleep good?"

Though he was well rested, Feitan wouldn't say he slept good. There were still questions running through his mind. Sitting up, he ran his hand through his slick black hair, still trying to wake up.

Pain moved through his back. Beds did not like him. But he wasn't in as much pain. Stretching, his back cracked again, taking the pain away.

"I no like beds," Feitan muttered as he got out of the large bed. As he stared at the large bed, he wondered how both of them ended up so close. They practically had a decent sized bed on both sides of what had been the pillow wall.

"What were you two talking about last night?" Phinks asked. "I fell asleep before I could hear everything."

"Her past," Feitan said, his eyes on her. Now that he thought about it, it could have been some sort of bizarre dream. Maybe he had been sleep talking.

She was still practically comatose.

"Well, I got a phone call this morning," Phinks said. "Apparently we get some sort of complimentary breakfast."

He had slept through the phone ringing. That was unheard of.

"I do not trust her," Feitan decided. "Manipulation too strong."


	6. Nullified Nen

He had caught her by surprise. The small mob stood in the destroyed room. Eleven had entered. Only four remained.

Of the wounds Nyx had received, her most lethal one was on her arm. Blood was pouring down her arm as her anger increased. She would have to leave Feitan and Phinks to find an Exorcist. The idea was unpleasant but had to be done.

"You're dangerous," a man with white hair stated. His eyes scanned the dead bodies that littered the floor. She wasn't carrying a weapon. In fact, she was only dressed in a bra and underwear. After her _Nen_ had been nullified, he thought she would be useless.

But no.

She had proven him so wrong, he had vowed to never underestimate his opponents after their _Nen_ had been blocked. She had made them believe they were really going to capture her until the bed broke and she grabbed a post. Three had died by her simple, but strong blows to their heads. She had been slammed into the glass door that led to the balcony. Four died by their throats being slashed open with sharp glass.

And it had happened so quickly. In a matter of minutes, she had killed seven people without remorse and without _Nen_. He had heard she was dangerous, but he didn't believe she would be _that_ dangerous.

Crimson was the new paint on the walls and the new color of the carpet. Rather than a typical hotel room smell, iron filled the room and seemed to be on the wind that was blowing into the room.

She said nothing as she stood in front of them. She didn't need to ask who they were. It was evident they were Exiled Martyrs. Martyrs that wanted to return to the 'old ways' when they did things for 'justified causes.'

Only they didn't know their history of Martyrs.

Of the four horrified men that stood in front of her, only one showed concealed fear. It wouldn't take long to change that. Even though the four had the upper hand, they weren't taking the opportunity to kill her. With that in mind, she realized they wanted her alive.

And she couldn't die.

She was weaker than before. Much weaker. She managed to leave hidden notes around the room that Feitan and Phinks would probably have to call Shalnark to figure out.

"She's too weak to keep fighting," the white haired man spoke again. "Start on the mark and leave the message. We'll handle taking her down."

A man dressed in a suit walked toward her. Nyx didn't back down, though she knew she should have. She had already decided.

Find out what they want. Endure the torture. Fake being dead. Escape.

The man reached for her and she jumped back, slashing his arm open with a hidden piece of glass she had placed in her bra. Landing by Feitan's bag, her eyes landed on his bandana.

Maybe…

She tied it around her neck then jumped to her bag and picked up a black jacket and jeans. No one approached her as she put the clothes on.

Walking into the bathroom, she turned on the knob to the faucet and washed her face but also stopping the water from leaving the sink.

Hopefully…

Feitan stopped in front of the door when his boot squished.

Water?

Phinks looked at the carpet, "Maybe she left the water running and had to leave."

Feitan opened the door and found the massacre.

"I no think so," Feitan said as he walked in. He ignored the blood as he walked into the bathroom and turned off the faucet.

There was a reason behind this.

Walking out of the bathroom, he went to the main area where Phinks stood. Seven bodies. Four with slashed throats. Three bleeding from their heads.

"What the hell happened in here?"

Feitan saw a piece of paper on the wall, a knife holding it up. With a tug, he had the paper in his possession.

_All murderers must face judgment. Learn this. All evil will be destroyed. She will be the representation of the beginning. Her execution will be broadcast in four days._

Feitan crumpled the paper and threw it to the side. The moment he looked to his left, he knew what had happened. A lion and tiger with wings holding a sword, the blade facing down.

Anyone that didn't know about the Martyrs would believe it was a Martyr mark. But it was the mark of an Exiled Martyr. How she lost was a mystery to him, unless it was another painful memory that stopped her from fighting back. Other than the seven on the floor, something made her stop and not use _Nen_ for the fight.

It could have been personal, or she was like him.

Killing by hand was much more enjoyable.

Even then, it was strange she had killed them in different ways.

"We should tell Shal," Phinks said as he stared at the wall.

Feitan went to see what Phinks was looking at. It was a bat.

Shalnark was the only member that had anything bat related.

When Shalnark arrived, his usually cheery face only glowed brighter when he saw the massacre in the room.

"She's really out done herself this time," Shalnark said. "So she's missing?"

"Exile Martyr," Feitan said as he pointed at the door.

Shalnark's cheeriness was gone. "I'm surprised she managed to kill seven without _Nen_."

"What do you mean 'without _Nen_?'?" Phinks asked. "How can you tell?"

"Nyx doesn't carry a weapon," Shalnark explained. "At least not an easily accessible one," he muttered. "She comes up with her own weapons on the spot when _Nen_ is not an option. She could have killed all of them with _Nen_. Her _Nen_ is gone. For how long, we don't know."

The blonde searched the room for a while, his expression only becoming more concerning.

"She's got to find an Exorcist," Shalnark said as he rested his hands on his hips. "She doesn't know where they're going or what they're going to do to her. She submitted from curiosity. She wants you to continue on to Uchibui."

Feitan had no idea how he came to that conclusion just by blood marks on the wall. Shalnark went through her bag and sighed, "She didn't take her shoes. I wonder what she did take."

His pale green eyes landed on Feitan then went to the short Spider's bag. "Feitan, are you missing anything?"

Feitan went through his bag, "Bandana."

A relieved sigh escaped Shalnark's lips, "Good. I was worried she had gone without a weapon."

"A bandana is a weapon?" Phinks asked. "Sure with _Nen_ but not without it."

"She keeps a knife in her shoes," Shalnark said. "She probably put it in Feitan's bandana making them believe it was simply something she wanted to keep as a memorabilia of her 'lover.'"

"She really thinks these things through," Phinks muttered.

He chuckled as he rested his hand on Feitan's shoulder, "Not going after your girlfriend?"

Feitan narrowed his eyes toward the tall man then looked at Shalnark, "We no go to Uchibui. We no find Heart."

"She'll probably be there when you get there," Shalnark said nonchalantly. "It's not like she can die. Though, she's probably going after an Exorcist so she can help find the Heart."


	7. Destroying the Monster

She barely had anything left. For days, she had been fighting off whoever would come into the room to torture her. It wasn't until someone entered that this look of pure madness and blood lust would appear on her face, then ultimate massacre.

But she had no _Nen_.

In theory, it was impossible for anyone to kill a _Nen_ user without _Nen_. But, plenty of theories had been proved wrong before.

Wakamo watched the TV that showed what was going on in the room she was locked in. It was day two of her capture. The once white room had turned dark grey on his black and white screen. There was blood everywhere. Heads, arms, legs, torsos, everything was scattered about the room. If he waited long enough, she would start piling the body parts together in separate areas, or try to rebuild the bodies.

She was insane. A monster that needed to be destroyed.

A monster, he was starting to believe, that could not _be_ destroyed.

She had brought a weapon with her, tucked within the rolls of her bandana that was around her neck. When she was not fighting, she took it off and stared at it, her eyes becoming blank.

All the men he had sent in to retrieve the bandana died in more painful ways than the ones that were not after the bandana. One actually succeeded in getting it off her neck. The knife she had taken with her went straight into his arm and held him to the floor.

The man's bicep was nearly eleven inches. Wakamo had figured it was merely stabbed in the bone. But it had gone through the bone, into the ground. His slow death was from drowning on his own blood after she got the bandana back. She made a cut across his throat and let him go as she held the bandana close to her. He died after taking a few steps down the hall.

He watched as she held the bandana again. It had been a few hours since her last fight. She was sitting in a pool of blood, holding the precious item to her.

She tied it around her neck and pulled off her shoe. With the blade of the knife, she dipped it into the pool and started drawing on her foot. He figured it would be the old Martyr symbol until he watched the knife sink into her skin. She didn't seem too bothered by the pain.

Did he really expect her to react to cutting herself?

After a while, she stopped. She stood up and walked to a clear spot on the wall. Bending over, she put her palm over whatever she had carved, then put her hand on the wall.

A spider.

Not just any spider.

The Phantom Troupe. And she was #11.

Her eyes went to the hidden camera. She had never directly looked at it before. Her dark eyes bore into Wakamo.

"Send in the next wave," he demanded.

As if she had heard him, a smirk formed on her lips as if saying 'Do your worst. You still won't win.'

He watched as five men entered the room. They were the best team of Exiled Martyrs in the group. They knew everyone's strengths and weaknesses and they used all of them to their advantage.

Two attacked, their Emitter launches going toward her. She easily dodged only to be met by a man that conjured a guitar and moved his fingers across it, playing some sort of melody. The music could be seen coming at her. She seemed stumped as she stared at the black notes floating around her. As she watched the music notes, the Emitters fired at her again. She dodged, landing on a music note which exploded, making a giant burn on her arm.

Finally, there was a chance she would be captured.

A lightning-like energy came from the Transmuter of the group, hitting her straight on as she continued to dodge music notes and Emitter auras. She was face first in the blood as the last conjured a spider web-like substance. His odd transmutation wrapped around her, and she was defeated.

A smirk formed on Wakamo's face.

Then, one by one, the men began to fall dead.

When the substance was gone from around her, she stood up and kicked them over to where they were on their backs.

They weren't dead. They were paralyzed.

"Get them out of there!" Wakamo yelled.

The door opened and words were exchanged. She held a knife to one of their throats, demanding something. The man seemed to agree and closed the door. After a few moments, the door to the room opened.

He looked at Yoto, the man that had just been in the room, "She wants to call someone. If she doesn't get that call, she'll torture all of them."

"Tell her she'll get the call," he said.

This was just what he wanted.

"But she has to wear restraints. We can't have her running away."

Yoto nodded and went back to the room. Wakamo watched with a victorious grin as the girl agreed. Yoto walked in, the restraints in his hands. She quickly disarmed him of the restraints and had something else against his neck.

Bone?

She had a hard look on her face as she gazed at the camera. It was either the phone call or his life, along with the others in the room.

"Fine," he said. "Tell her she gets the phone call, just let them go. Take a phone to her."

Another man walked into the room, holding out a cellphone.

"Trace the call," he demanded.

Nyx began pressing numbers into the phone, her grip never leaving the man, and the sharp piece of bone being held dangerously close to the bottom of the man's chin. She was ready to pierce his brain.

Putting the device to her ear, she waited, her eyes on the man who had given her the phone. She could see the fear in his eyes. He was stressed out. Looking at the heads in the corner of the room, she had killed around fifteen people.

"Hello?" The voice answered skeptically.

"How many days have I been missing?"

"Nyx!" Shalnark exclaimed. "Where-"

"Where are you?" Feitan asked sharply.

She held the piece of bone to the man's neck, her eyes back on the man that had given her the phone, "You have 30 seconds to tell me where we are or this goes through his brain."

"W-We're in Yorknew!"

"I'm in Yorknew," she passed to Feitan.

"Where in Yorknew?"

"Where in Yorknew?" She asked the man.

"W-Where Amari and R-Rominati cross!"

"Where Amari and Rominati cross," she forwarded.

"We be there soon," Feitan said.

"I hope so," she replied.

Feitan's eyes widened at how quiet she was. She sounded exhausted.

"Have they hurt you?"

"Not as much as I've hurt them," She told him.

"I-If they want to see you, there's an open internet site where people can see!" The man Nyx had hostage said. "T-Tell them to look at the Exiled Murder site. They'll be able to see everything!"

"Nyx!" Phinks' loud voice boomed over the phone.

"How long have I been gone?"

"Two days. Feitan got pissed and shoved the phone to me. How you holding up?"

"Fifteen dead, five paralyzed, I have a hostage."

He was quiet, "Oh! Wow, that's a hell of a job you've done. They've got a countdown and everything. Well, it's going to take at least a day to get there. Keep up the fight and we'll be there soon."

She hung up and pushed her hostage away, tossing the phone to its original owner. "Get them out of here," she demanded. "I don't stay sympathetic long. Better make it quick."

A group of medics rushed in and took the five away. Nyx moved to the wall, sliding down and resting her head against the wall. There was no darkness. No windows. No way to track time.

Her eyes moved around the room at the massacre around her. She walked to the pile of arms and searched all of them for a watch. A smile crossed her lips as she pulled a watch off and put it on hers. It was digital.

It was 3 in the afternoon. Taking a jacket she had pulled off one of the bodies, she balled it up and put it under her head, and closed her eyes.

Wakamo slammed his hands on the desk, furious with how easy everything had been for this torturer. He couldn't even trace the call!

"Damn her! Did you hear any names?"

"No," Yoto replied. "Well, I heard Feitan. He seemed to be the one that cares the most for her. He was really hard to understand. I don't think he's from anywhere nearby. She bounced through three people talking. All men."

"I see," Wakamo muttered. "When they come, make sure we have everyone ready."

"They said it would take about a day to get here," Yoto informed.

Shalnark, Feitan, and Phinks walked through Yorknew. They were only a few hours' drive from Yorknew. Finding a bus stop, the three looked for the transit to Amari.

There was no street called Amari.

Feitan was losing his patience with these people. He was ready to destroy the whole city to find her, but that would put her at risk as well. Giving up for the time being, they went to the nearest apartment complex, getting ready to start a new way of finding her.

Nyx sat in silence. According to the watch, it was 8PM. Five hours. She took off the watch and threw it across the room. Knowing time made things go by slower. In the five hours she had been in the room, she had gone through all of her victims' pockets and found some a couple hundred jenny, some rings, more weapons, and some watches that looked like they were worth a pretty penny.

She missed the five she paralyzed. Their screams would have been fun to hear again.

She watched the door open. She always did. Trying to find ways to make it open so she could escape. She didn't have much, but she supposed she could find a way to make use of it.

The man had a tray of food.

He placed it on the floor and walked out, closing the door again.

She didn't bother moving toward it. Instead, she got up and went to the arms. Cutting the fingers off of all the arms, she began cutting the skin and muscle away from the bone.

Wandering to the plate of food, she picked up the water and went back to her pile of bones. After rinsing off the good 450 bones she had collected from the fingers, she pulled out a knife and started carving.

The idiot had only put one hidden camera in a circular room. That didn't give him access to all the things that could be done.

Or he never needed the other cameras.

She began hollowing out the bones and chipped away so she would be able to keep the door from closing completely. She sharpened one to a point then repeated the cleaning process from two arms, getting the humerus from the arms and sharpening the ends to a point. Putting the bone she had sharpened to a point, she put between her teeth and began to stab the sharpened humerus bones into the wall, climbing up the large wall. When she got to the camera, she remained under it as she held on with one arm and pulled the bone from her teeth and slammed it into the camera.

She held onto the bones and pushed away with her feet, taking the sharpened bones with her. She didn't have to hide anymore. Her demise on public screen was not going to happen.

She was far too tired to think or care about the consequences.

"They sent us in the wrong direction," Shalnark said, his tracking finished.

She was in a large city called Opolis. It was also known as the City of Gold, due to its common building material, Hutski a natural gold-shaded mineral that was mixed in with cheap metals to make them appear gold. This was also good for swindlers.

"But we can find her," Phinks said hopeful.

"Yeah," Shalnark said. His eyes moved to the video. She had thirty minutes before her they would kill her.

"We go anyway," Feitan said seriously. "We go and we kill."

"Uh oh," Phinks said suddenly. "She took the camera out."

The men came in like an ocean wave. But then they stopped.

All the bodies had been put back together, held up by bones. The eyes had been forced open, and gouged out letting them stare into dark abysses. The clotted blood didn't go far on some, but others had it pouring from the holes. Their friends…

Nyx hadn't heard that many men puke before. She had stolen keys from a good number of their pockets as she walked down the hall. The man she had killed, she took his clothes.

She needed sunlight and food. From the time she talked to Phinks about the time she had left to then, she figured it was getting close for the execution to come. Sighing as she found stairs, she began her trip up. That would lead to the roof, eventually. She didn't count the floors she went up. It just felt like an eternity.

Then…there was the end.

She pushed the door open and gold rays of sun wrapped around her along with a cool breeze. The bright city glowed brightly under the sun. She was in Opolis. It had been a while since she had been there.

Exiled Martyrs hated this city. She wondered why they venture there in the first place. Whistling as she slid down the long fire ladder on the side of the building, she started toward the payphone. Sticking the required amount of jenny into the coin slot, she dialed Shalnark's number.

"Hello?"

"Start your rant."

"Where are you?"

"Still in Opolis."

"You got out?!"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm going to a hotel and getting some rest."

"Y-You have your Hunter's License?"

"Yeah."

"I'll send Feitan and Phinks then. I've got some other business to attend to. Where are you going to be staying?"

"Emuki."

She hung up and went to the hotel. Like the rest of the city, it was golden and luxurious looking. She got the room key and headed straight to the room. When she walked in, she went straight to the shower and washed the blood off of her. She was covered in burns, lacerations, and blisters. She had no idea how long she was in the shower, but it took a long time to get her hair color back to its pale shade.

When she got out, she ordered room service, too tired to go get food on her own. It arrived and she slowly ate it while sitting on the balcony, enjoying the sun.

Getting out of Opolis was going to be harder than getting in. She probably wasn't registered in the area. She didn't remember entering the city at all. They were one of the more strict cities because of their potential fraud mineral. As the sun set, she got ready to leave and go shopping again. Even if Feitan and Phinks brought her luggage, it would be a while before they arrived.

Walking out of the hotel, she headed to nearby shops, staying in the shadows. Her stealing would be harder without her _Nen, _but she could still do it. Sneaking into the store by using the air conditioner, she found her way to the ceiling and carefully moved a tile in the ceiling. Dropping from the ceiling, she made her way through the store's shadows, stealing clothes as she passed.

Finding the fire exit, she gently and slowly opened it, cracking it enough to get her out without triggering the alarm. With that, she headed back to the hotel. Changing out of the man's clothes and into some more comfortable wear, she fell onto the bed and fell asleep.

All she had to do was find an Exorcist then, she would be able to find the Martyr Heart. Then finally…this nightmare would end.


	8. Drugged

The nightmare didn't end. Nyx opened her eyes and found herself in a white room. Everything was blurry. Her head ached and there was something in her arm that was causing her pain. Someone was over her. He wore a doctor hat and a face mask as if hiding from sort of disease.

"Do you know where you are?" He asked.

"No," she replied, the answer mumbled.

The man looked over his shoulder, "She's ready."

Ready? Ready for what?

It seemed like when she blinked she had gone from lying down to tied down in a chair that was bolted to the floor. The room had corners and was completely white. Her head was pounding.

An overweight man in a suit walked in, a cigar in his hand.

"I have an antidote to the way you're feeling," he told her. "All you have to do is answer some questions and you'll get it."

Her head dropped. Of all the things she endured, being drugged was the worst besides the rape. She couldn't remember anything from the past few days. She remembered the airship landing in Yaruko, her destination being Tersu.

She wasn't sure why she was going. Everything else was darkness except waking up with a headache. No telling how long ago that was.

"What's your name?"

She just looked at the large man. He didn't need her name. It was irrelevant to the situation.

"You're in the hospital wing of the Martyr building. Answer or you'll die a very painful death."

Too bad she couldn't die.

He sighed, "Alright. Let's put it in. Call him in too."

She watched as they put a needle in her arm and set up the IV. It felt like fire was moving through her veins. Her head began to pound harder. Her eyes closed, trying to keep the light from making the headache worse.

The man laughed, "You can't block out that pain, sweetheart. Every minute a drop will enter your veins. With every drop, your heart will start to race faster until it finally explodes. It could be your head though. Your veins seem to be pretty tense."

Tense. So she just had to relax.

"I guess you're wondering why you're here," he said as he began to walk around her. "Well, it's simple. You hurt our brethren."

Brethren?

"Even though the Exiles aren't necessarily Martyrs, they were Martyrs at one point. At least, the fifteen you killed were."

She was a bit upset she couldn't remember killing fifteen people. As she watched the man, she was thoroughly disappointed with what had happened to the Martyrs. This pathetic man was feeding off their profits.

She managed a smirk and an amused laugh. Despite its weakness, it still offended the man. "The Martyrs aren't what they used to be," she said quietly. "Especially with someone like you in charge."

He growled and slapped her just as the door opened. Her smirk didn't leave as she turned her attention to the man that had entered the room. He didn't look dangerous, but he definitely felt it. Messy black hair that framed his young face, narrow grey eyes, a black t-shirt and jeans. Simple, but very, very dangerous.

Pain erupted through her entire body as if it was reliving a memory she didn't know about. It made the solution hurt her more. But relief came when her wounds began to bleed.

The light, steady flow was pushing out the solution as fast as it was entering. A sharp stab into her neck followed by a painful injection of something made her wince. After a moment, the room began to blur, the young man approaching her.

A smirk found its way back to her lips even though she couldn't really see him all that well, "It doesn't matter what you do to me. I won't say a word."

"I know."

His low reply caused her hair to stand on end. He had a voice and accent that she could listen to forever.

But, how did he know?

She could feel his body heat against her skin, making her aware that she was cold. All she saw was black and she wasn't certain why. Had she lost her vision from the drug?

"I steal you back," he said. She held back a shiver as his breath moved by her ear, but it didn't stop the chills.

"I was never yours," she told him.

The bright light made her flinch. As he faded from sharp to blur, she could vaguely see his smirk, an amused glint in those dangerous eyes. "That what you think."

Feitan knew he said the wrong thing. He hadn't seen fear on her face since that man spoke to her. She stayed quiet for so long after that.

The man that had hired Feitan to torture her came from behind him and grabbed her mouth, forcing her to look at him. He laughed wickedly, "Now that we've got your attention, why don't you start answering the questions I have."

She looked to the guy then the man that was holding her face. He shoved her away and started pacing in front of her. "What's your name?"

Even through the blur, she could see something appear in the torturer's hand. Long and silver. A sword.

Then, he was gone. The man's head fell off, hitting the floor.

"You let her go or feel pain," the torturer said darkly.

A doctor-looking person walked to her and pulled the needle from her arm then unlocked the binds she was being held by. She heard the sword go through something then a thud.

He walked in front of her, his hand toward her and his sword in his other hand. "Drug make you forget. We go to hotel. Wait drug out."

She had no other choice but to trust him. She knew she wasn't going to stay there. And if he tortured her after the drug was gone, she had a chance of fighting back.

But, he had claimed her. How and why, she wasn't completely sure.

She took his hand and quickly grabbed his arm when her legs gave out. She started to step over the large man, but something caught her attention. There was something hanging from his pocket. Her hand moved down her 'rescuer's' arm until she was holding his hand, allowing her to pull the fabric from the man's pocket. A bandana with a skull on it.

Feitan watched, wondering what she was going to do with it. As she stood back up, she kept hold on him and the bandana. She slowly let go of him and tied the bandana around her neck then grabbed his arm again.

Maybe she hadn't forgotten everything.

"Why it important?" He asked.

"I don't really know," she told him. "It feels like a memory of hope."

So that's what it meant to her. He didn't question her anymore as they walked. When they walked out, Phinks was waiting.

"You look worse than the last time I saw you," Phinks told her.

Feitan looked at Nyx wondering if she would remember. She was just staring up at him, her eyes wide for whatever reason.

"She no remember," Feitan told the tall man. "They drug her."

"You're so tall," Nyx suddenly said.

Phinks stared at the girl, too bewildered by her statement to really reply. "Yeah, she's been drugged."

"We wait it out," Feitan said. "She be fine."

"Yeah," Phinks agreed. "She's pretty out of it. Why is she bleeding?"

"I no know," Feitan replied. "It start when she see me."

Phinks walked to the girl, "I'll carry you to the hotel. You get some rest."

She looked at Feitan. Feitan had no idea why she was looking at him.

"Do you trust him?" She asked.

"Yes."

She skeptically approached the man allowing him to pick her up. She did her best to ignore the smell of sweat and sand that seemed to leak from the man. She doubted she smelled pleasant. As if a blanket of security was draped over her, she was out cold.

After getting a Hunter room, Phinks gently placed the bloodied girl on the bed. She had been squirming and sweating like a nightmare had taken her dreams. With what they put in her, he wouldn't doubt she was suffering a nightmare.

"Think she'll remember when she wakes up?" Phinks asked as he watched the girl.

"She scared of me," Feitan told him.

Phinks had a hard time understanding the small Spider. Ever since she had disappeared, his English had gotten worse, even to the point where he would mix in his native language when he was irritated. If they hadn't found her, Feitan was certainly going to destroy something, if not everything.

"Oh," Phinks said suddenly as he pulled out his phone. "We should probably tell Shal."

Feitan was uninterested in the conversation. He was interested in the importance of the bandana. She killed fifteen people keeping it safe. Was it really her only grasp to hope? What was she hoping for?

"Yeah, the lovers are reunited," he heard Phinks joke. "He's been staring at her for five minutes. It's kinda creepy."

Feitan smiled, "I no sound feminine."

Phinks growled, "Shut up half-pint!" His attention was stolen by the voice on the phone. "So you are coming? Alright. We're in 1719."

He hung up the phone, "Shal's coming. Seriously, what's your problem? You've never been like this."

"She inspiration," Feitan said. "She who I want be."

Phinks sniggered, "She who you want."

The small Spider practically teleported to the larger, ready to attack, but stopped.

No fights were allowed in the Phantom Troupe.

Phinks had a wicked grin, "One go won't hurt."

"I no leave her," Feitan told him. A smirk formed on his lips, "I win."

Phinks growled, "You sound so confident. Why, because you have someone to protect now?"

He raised an eyebrow at the thought. She would need protecting. That was strange to think about.

"She strong with no _Nen_," he stated. "She do impossible."

Phinks didn't argue as he looked at the sleeping girl. She had done the impossible. She had won Feitan's heart. In almost two weeks, she had won his trust and changed him more than the Spider realized.

Maybe her Manipulation skills went beyond paint. Could she control people, as most Manipulators did? But why would she control Feitan for those reasons? And there was no paint or blood on Feitan. Well, not from when she could use _Nen_.

Feitan sat next to her, leaning against the headboard and turned on the TV. They needed an update on the Chimera Ants. If they were getting closer to Uchibui, there would be problems.

They were spreading, but they hadn't gone far north. Maybe they couldn't go that far north. If normal insects couldn't live there and it was difficult for humans to live there, why could they live there? They would have to breed a soldier to be that strong. It could be days or it could take months.

Phinks sat on the other bed leaning against the headboard, his arms behind his head, "They're spreading pretty quickly."

"They no go north," Feitan said. "Heart still safe."

"They don't even have insects there," Phinks said still looking at the TV.

Neither of them bothered to look when the door opened. Shalnark was good at picking locks, even electric ones. He laughed when he saw them. "You look bored."

"Because babysitting is boring," Phinks told him. "She's unconscious and Feitan won't leave her because she doesn't have _Nen_."

"You sound jealous," Shalnark said with a laugh.

Feitan smiled, "She competition?"

Phinks growled at him, "I hate both of you."

Feitan and Shalnark laughed. As Shalnark went to her, he moved some of her blood matted hair from her face. "She doesn't look so good. She must have had a reaction to one of the drugs for her wounds to be infected."

He placed his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. "Well, she has a fever. Guess we can at least try to help that."

He went to the bathroom and came back with a cloth, putting it over her forehead. She shivered then gave a light sigh of relief.

"What are you watching?" Shalnark asked, his attention on the TV as he sat on the bed by Nyx's feet.

"Seeing where the Chimera Ants are," Phinks said. "The Heart might be safest where it's at. They aren't going too far north."

Shalnark watched the reports for a moment, "That's true. We may not need to go that far." He looked at his sleeping friend, "Guess she won't find out if she'll live or die this time. When she wakes up get the names of the Exorcists. Since she needs one too, she should be pretty willing to help find them."


End file.
